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Laud airport's $139 million upgrade plan

El Paso Times Editorial Board

Posted:
08/26/2013 12:00:00 AM MDT

El Paso International Airport has become one of the city's best assets, and it was wise for City Council to unanimously approve a $139 million face lift. The airport is the first thing many visitors to El Paso see. That was one reason for placing John Houser's 36-foot-tall Equestrian statue on the site. And there will be no cost to taxpayers.

El Paso International operates as a city department but gets its capital from the Federal Aviation Administration, several leasees along Airway Boulevard and Montana Avenue and regular airport business revenue.

The largest items in the face-lift project are a state-of-the-art car-rental facility, runway reconstruction, a new taxiway and loading bridges.

Over the years, El Paso International has received high marks from passengers. It's been rated one of the world's top mid-size airports for the ease of passenger movements. There have been major renovations made to the passenger terminals in the last few years.

City Rep. Emma Acosta notes that most big cities now have modern car-rental facilities, and El Paso should be competitive. We are a growing city, and since our airport has the wherewithal to make these improvements with no taxpayer money involved, it should keep its facilities up to date with those in other cities.

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Runway and taxiway renovations are also important since the airport is home to a large air-shipping facility -- the overnight-delivery business that is getting more and more popular. Mail and packages meant for Tucson to the West and several points to the east are loaded on trucks at our airport around the clock. The airport's website names such cargo carriers as FedEx, UPS, DHL and Cargo Force as airport operators.

Having top airline facilities can also help the El Paso economy since ease of car-rental access weighs in when groups determine where they will hold their state or national conventions.

City planners have long focused on our airport as a tool to bring new business to El Paso. That's one reason the Butterfield Trail Golf Club was build on the east side of airport property. The goal is to attract a major resort-style hotel where business executives in the maquiladora industry can fly in from around the world and meet and play golf right at the airport.

That east area of the airport is also set up as an industrial site for new businesses that chooses to start up or expand to El Paso.

Acosta said the airport is part of our economical development. "We really need to maintain that," she said.

And city Rep. Dr. Michiel Noe puts it in plain words: "You want the airport to be self-sustaining itself. I would hate to ask taxpayers to pay for a new runway, so it is great to see our airport can do it on its own."

It's called being ready for the future. And El Paso International has been maintaining that readiness for several years now. The $139 million face lift is a good thing for all of El Paso.